Games People Play
by Mase
Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki is in for a surprise when a dazed and confused exchange student comes into town. [Some IchixOC, but it's not the kind you'd expect.]
1. Welcome

Games People Play  
(I do not own Bleach. D: Tite Kubo owns that. I do, though, own Ash.

Ichigo POV.)

It was early September when she walked into KaraKura High. It seemed as if it were her first trip to not only the school, but the world itself.

The girl who was the color of chocolate pie. The girl who towered over the student body and could compete with Chad. The girl who noticed how dark it got when your eyes closed.

She had a slouching kind of walk, but there was always the loud squeak that reminded you of P.E. class when her sneakers graced the floor. Her eyes.. her eyes were the color of cinnamon, much like my own. A goofy grin was spread across her face as she said hi to people she had never met, those sepia-colored eyes sparkling under wisps of half-pink, half brown hair.

The day she came, she introduced herself in an overly-welcome way. Her Japanese was off.

She sat next to me that day, in the empty seat I had gotten used to having. I expressed my distaste, and she gave me that grin, softly crooning a verse of some English song in my ear.

"It's Motown," She explained to me later, in science class. "The Spinners. Have you heard them before?"

I shook my head no.

"It's a shame, they're my favorite." She turned back around in her seat, ears tuned to the lecture, picking words apart so she could understand.

Her name was Ash. That's all that she told us.

-End Chapter 1-


	2. Dizzy

Chapter Two

Sitting next to her became a force of habit. She always picked the seat next to mine in every class we had together, and if it was filled, she'd opt for another one just as close. Today, she was sitting behind me as Keigo sat to my left, and Ishida to my right.

Keigo seemed to have an interest in her, and all during class, I'd hear them whispering back and forth, sometimes Keigo singing bits and pieces of Motown songs she'd teach to him. It drove Ishida crazy.

After class, I slung my backpack over my shoulder as Ishida stood and walked past me, to her.

"Could you be any more inconsiderate to the people who want to learn?" He snapped, eyes narrowed into slits.

She glanced at him, her mouth a small 'o', feigning innocence as she broke into a happy, carefree smile. "Dizzy my way?"

"What?" The Quincy's eyebrows raised, then furrowed as he tried to decipher the meaning.

"Shine your eyes." It was as if she were speaking in code. I tried to figure out the message myself, but no avail.

She was gone just like that, Keigo following like a lapdog.

-Chapter 2 End-


	3. Eyes

Chapter Three

At lunch, she was practically smushed into me on the grass.

Keigo decided to push her, and she decided to stay like that.

"Can you leave now?" Discomfort.

"No, no, of course not!" She cheerily replied, her eyes warmer than a cup of coffee. She was only looking at me. "We're friends."

With that, she pulled a long, funny smelling sandwich out of a brown paper bag. It was a cheese steak. The words didn't sound right in my mouth.

She offered me some, and I took a piece, eyeing it like a weapon. I took a bite while she began ranting over greasy bags and cracked sidewalks. Her eyes seemed to shine brighter, and she stopped.

"Is it good?"

I slowly nodded.

I couldn't lie to those eyes.


	4. Unknowing

Chapter Four

I don't know what had happened.

In technology class, she was rambling on and shoving a computer monitor in my face. It was a picture of a man who had resembled Byakuya.

But how did she draw it if she didn't know him?

I asked her who it was, and she quieted, shrugged, and turned around.

I was positive she wasn't a soul reaper of anything of the sort, yet Rukia gave me a knowing look.

Later, arguments ensued.

--

Later, at the end of the day, she thrusted something else in my face. A notebook story.. about.. me?

_Ichigo Kurosaki squinted as the sunlight shone brightly through the trees. Today was a wonderfully sunny day, and he had to spend it in school. Luckily, he had his salvation; lunch, and the person whom he was sharing it with._

My eyes widened. Her..?

_"Oi, oi, Ichigo, eat this!" She held a strawberry up to his lips, and he chuckled in response, taking a bite. "Thanks, Ash." He replied fondly, placing his arm around her._

_Said girl beamed in delight and cuddled up to her orange-haired lover._

Wait.. LOVER?

"What the hell is this?!" I outbursted, shoving the notebook away. It was at that moment I noticed that she was an inch taller than me, and frowning like an adult.

"You don't like it?" She questioned.

"Who writes about things like that?! I barely even KNOW YOU!"

"But.. we're friends."

"So you say!! And when does 'friends' mean 'lovers'?!"

She was hurt. She slowly put her notebook back into her backpack and made her way out the door. Quietly.

Keigo was glaring.


	5. Tired

Chapter Five

Keigo and I didn't speak to eachother for the next week. Ash ignored me, also.

Her carefree smile was gone, and she looked as if she had worked hard hours at a lifting job. She found a seat near the back of the classroom, and wasn't very attentive.

"I'm fine," She said to Rukia when she was questioned after math class, her tone thick, heavy, tired. "Schoolwork is wearing me out."

It was a lie; she never studied, she didn't even do her homework. She just.. miraculously passed tests.

This prodded and prodded at me inside, so I finally confronted her. This was obviously going to go unsolved otherwise.

"Ash."

"..."

"Ash, I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"I really mean it."

"It's okay."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm okay."

"...Want me to walk you home?"

"It's okay."

"Okay."

And that was it.


	6. Humming

Chapter Six

She was still ignoring me. Keigo still did, too.

On normal circumstances, I wouldn't care very much for these things. However, Keigo was a trusted friend, or atleast I thought. As for Ash.. I thought she had considered us as 'friends'.

Wrong.

I was slightly downcast for the school week. Rukia kept questioning me on what was wrong. I shook her off. I shook the Hollows off. I shook everything off.

I could hear a faint humming of a song I grew to recognize over the few months that passed. "I've Been Working My Way Back To You, Baby". The Spinners. Ash's latest (and supposedly secret) vocal theme for the last few days.

I started humming it, too. She noticed, and cracked a smile.

I can't explain my actions, but things are getting better.

(End of Chapter note: I'm feeling off lately. uu I think, next chapter, the writing style will be different. Normal style.) 


	7. Hey

Chapter Seven

Ash glared down at her desk in concentration, studying the fields of hiragana on her paper. She could barely read a thing.

Sure, she put up a know-it-all facade, but she didn't tell others that all of her tests were specialized; specialized meaning in English.

She sighed in defeat, holding her palms up and shrugging before glancing about before her eyes fell upon a certain carrot-top a few desks away, jotting down something on his packet. The corners of her lips curved upwards. Ichigo was too cute, in his own way... too bad she was mad at him. Supposedly.

Feeling eyes on him, he looked up and their eyes met. His cinnamon brown eyes held a bit of confusion, which made her smile grow to its signature goofy, lighthearted grin. She must've been looking like an idiot to him, but she didn't care one bit.

He arched an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips. She suddenly blinked in wild surprise and almost fell out of her seat, but caught herself and straightened, coughing a little and turning around. "I'll be damned," She muttered, eyes still wide. She also failed to notice Keigo repeating a line of 'Honest You Do' from a desk behind her, waiting for her reply.

She merely pulled a piece of notebook paper out and began writing.

(End of Chapter Note: So, this style or old style?

Also: Cover for this story is up! Check my profile ) 


	8. Walk

Chapter Eight

"Hey, Indigo," Ash greeted, sidling up beside Ichigo as he strolled back to his house. There was a skip in her step, and her eyes were twinkling with curiously and mischief. She looked rather foolish, being taller than him by a couple of inches and occasionally hopping, but she was usually the one who noticed these types of things after she did them.

"What?" Ichigo glanced at her, hauling his heavy satchel over his shoulder. He held a look that obviously said, 'Oh lord, what is it now', but didn't dare voice it.

"If I were kidnapped, let's say, by a couple o' ghouls, or something like that… Would you rescue me?" The question was slightly accented by her lazy way of shortening words, and as casual as day, despite the oddness of it.

In response, her favorite carrot-top kept his eyes on her, never losing a beat. "Maybe." He tried to hide his smirk, but failed. He had learned that this was the best way of answering questions to her, an American, or better yet described, an American monkey.

This always caused an embarrassing outburst or explosion, but he humored her. A little. 

"WHAAAAT?! FOOL, YOU CRAZY?!" She exclaimed in English, waving her arms insanely and nearly smacking him in the shoulder. "You're trying to be a wind-living rebel now?! You're apparently too good for me now, is that it?! I oughta…." Mumble.

His smirk grew slightly, and he kept walking, keeping silent and letting her ramble on a string of Japanese with English bonus words, the screeching eventually melting down into a sweet melody by Marvin Gaye.

She was endearing in her own way, and he liked her company. She obviously enjoyed his.

Together, they could build a centered, starry world. 


	9. Beetle

Chapter Nine

"Why, hello, Ichigo." Keigo greeted rather smugly, sitting down beside his friend on the rooftop. Said friend barely looked up from his lunch, so he continued. "I know something you don't know"

"And what would that be?"

"Ash said you looked like a beetle this morning..." Keigo giggled madly and then ducked as a plethora of noodles flew over his head and Ichigo began to scream.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I LOOKED LIKE A BEETLE?! HOW?!"

"She said that you were scuttling around.." The brunette began laughing so hard his sides hurt, and he tipped over onto the cool tiles. "And that you drink from leaky pipes under sinks, and eat little bits of dry ramen…"

"WHERE IS SHE NOW?!" Ichigo screamed, his eyes flaming and his face red with rage.

"In the classroom!! Hahahaha!!" He continued to laugh as the orange-headed teen scrambled down the stairs to his history class. Once he reached his desired location, he found his enemy waiting by the door with a satisfied smile.

"Hello, Ichibuto…" Before he could protest and knock her lights out, she leaned over and pecked his cheek, leaving him in a state of shock as she waltzed out of the room, most likely on her way to jump someone for their lunch and devour it all. "Later, Kabusaki"

He could only stare blankly in front of him, his face a bright red as he blushed out of embarrassment and spluttered out nonsensical words, as stiff as a stone statue.

On her way out, Rukia smugly tipped him over.


	10. Paul

Chapter Ten

"Oh, yes, my past is very… sorrowful."

"I don't think we're hiring at the moment, but I'm sure I could find a place for you." Urahara smiled charmingly, waving his fan idly as he was eye-to-eye with the girl before him. In response, the monkey-girl cheered with childish delight. "Oh, thank you so much!"

"But, before that… how sad is it?" His eyes sparkled with mirth has they were shaded by his 'clever-looking hat'.

"Well.. uhm.." She scratched her head. "I was born.. uh.. in Alaska. My family, was, uh, away on business all of the time. Like, 24/7. Also, I had to chase chickens and lizard around for food."

"… Lizard around?"

"Oh, yes! You don't know the act of lizarding?" Ash laughed nervously.

"I'm afraid not. Would you demonstrate for me?" He grinned slightly, stepping back to give her enough 'lizarding room' in the roomy shop.

She gulped and knelt down, beginning to crawl stealthily across the floor on her hands and knees. Her face was red with embarrassment.

And it grew even redder when Ichigo Kurosaki, who was quite impatient from waiting outside, walked in. "…What the hell?"

"Oh, Ichigo! Your friend was just telling me about her unfortunate past, of scourging and.. Lizarding in the cold and barren lands of Alaska."

The carrot top's eye began twitching, and Ash took her cue to leave in a hurry. "Tell me about that job later, Paul!!"

"… Paul..?" He slowly turned his head to stare at Urahara, who in turn, merely smiled. "It's a long story."

"I bet."


	11. Ishida

Chapter Eleven

"Oi, oi, Ishida." Uryuu flinced as his cheerful worst nightmare pranced up behind him. He couldn't even fathom /why/ she was talking to him in the first place. Didn't she have Kurosaki to keep her company? Anyway, the last time she had something to say to him, it was one of her wretched notebook stories, and she had paired him and Kurosaki together, disturbingly.

"What could you possibly want from me?" He slowly turned his head to stare at her, a shiver running down his spine as he noticed the mirth in her huge, freakish eyes.

"I made another story, huh, huh, huh." Ash grinned stupidly, waving a bent notebook around. "And Indigo isn't innit!"

"Oh really," He replied dryly, afraid to actually look and see who was his 'boyfriend' now. Renji? Keigo? MIZUIRO?

"Yeah, reallies!" She tilted her head and thrusted the notebook at him. "Note the clear plastic covering."

He gingerly took it and turned to face her. "Yes, I notice it." Slowly opening up the notebook, he flipped through the pages until he found the story under the day's date…

And grimaced horribly.

"Who the hell is Tsuyoshi Hanada?!" He gripped the notebook tightly, his knuckles beginning to turn white.

"He's, like, the nerd from Ouendan. You know, the DS game? Uh-duh! Isn't it wonderful?! You're his wife!!"

If looks could kill, Ash would've been dead in a minute. "… How… nice."

"I'm glad you loooove it! HEY, ICHIGO, HE LIKED IT!!" She shouted, beginning to plod back to her 'favorite metal-head'. "I TOLD YOU HE WOULD!!"

Uryuu Ishida's humiliation grew as he heard Kurosaki laughing his ass off in the background.

Revenge was necessary.


End file.
